Our Roots

The seed for The Edible Classroom germinated in 2017 when co-founders Beth Horst and Grace Julian brought their dreams to life. Both founding women were propelled by their love of learning, gardening, and bringing communities together. That seed is still growing, firmly rooted in cultivating academic achievement, healthy lifestyles, and environmental stewardship.

We educate during the school day in school gardens around Lancaster County, empowering students to grow their own food and prepare and taste recipes with their harvest. Our garden-based lessons reinforce PA State Standards and life skills in Science, Math, Social Studies, Environmental Literacy, and Sustainability, building background knowledge for future learning.

During summer months, we bring communities together around healthy food and conservation practices through Garden Camps and fresh vegetable sharing. 

“Real Food, Real World Experience in all we do”